Strike a Deal

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HSS

#341681 Wed, 21 Mar 07 01:05 PM

Could someone please explain how come "to strike" as in "strike a deal" comes to mean "to agree to" based on its basic meaning of hitting something? Does this "to strike" relate to "to stamp (to hit) a seal on"?

Hiro

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Joined on Wed, Nov 16 2005

Sendai, Japan

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Marius Hancu

#341687 Wed, 21 Mar 07 01:22 PM

Think of striking/hitting a target.
Or of having a handshake with the other person.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

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Clive

#341690 Wed, 21 Mar 07 01:29 PM

Hi Hiro,

I'd say it's more likely to refer to shaking (ie touching) hands after arriving at an agreement. The origin is from the Latin stringere - to touch.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

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El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

HSS

#342065 Thu, 22 Mar 07 02:04 PM

Uh-ha! Then it closely relates to "strike hands on something," doesn't it? You strike hands --- it's not just to hold somebody else's hand but you thrust your hand, touch his hand with it so hard you almost hit it, and shake his, right?

Best,

Hiro

HSS

Marius Hancu

#342067 Thu, 22 Mar 07 02:05 PM

The expression you hear is shake hands.

Marius Hancu

Expressions

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#342298 Fri, 23 Mar 07 12:08 AM

Hi.

I was just referring to the usage below. It wouldn't be used much, then?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/strike

strike hands, to conclude a bargain, as by shaking or joining hands; confirm an agreement: They reached a price satisfactory to both of them, and struck hands on it.

Hiro

HSS

Clive

#342314 Fri, 23 Mar 07 01:14 AM

Hi Hiro,

I don't recall ever hearing that expression. It sounds archaic to me.

Clive

Expressions

HSS

#342494 Fri, 23 Mar 07 01:51 PM

Clive wrote:

I'd say it's more likely to refer to shaking (ie touching) hands after arriving at an agreement. The origin is from the Latin stringere - to touch.

Marius Hancu wrote:
Think of having a handshake with the other person.

Could you please enlighten me on how "striking" leads to a "handshake"? I don't see any hard hitting in a handshake. Please help.

Hiro

HSS

Clive

#342557 Fri, 23 Mar 07 04:53 PM

Hi Hiro,

I think you are trying to hard to find significance in the word 'strike'. 'To strike a deal' is just a standard phrase that has evolved.

I interpret striking in 'strike a deal' as referring more to decisiveness and finality than to actual hitting.

You might like to also consider a phrase like 'When I met her, she struck me as an intelligent person'. The meaning here is that this was the immediate, quick impression I received. She didn't actually hit me. Smile [:)]

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

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